Prevalence of Fungal Nail Infection among Psoriatic Patients in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia

Journal of Pan-Arab League of Dermatologists
Vol. 18, No. 1, February 2007 Page 37- 41

Prevalence of Fungal Nail Infection among Psoriatic Patients in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia

Hanan R Nada*, Solafa Amin** and Manal Mokhtar***

Departments of Dermatology*, Dermatology Department, Cairo University, Pathology**, Cairo University and
Microbiology***, Ain Sham University

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate thecause of nail affection among psoriatic patientscomplaining of nail changes whether psoriasis,fungal infection or both.

Method: a 12 month period study was carriedout on thirty psoriatic patients complaining ofnail changes. Nail scrapping &/or clippingwere collected & thensubjected to direct microscopy& mycology culture. Nail biopsieswere also taken for hematoxylin & eosin thenPAS staining.

Results: Onychomycosis was foundto be responsiblefor nail changes in 66.6% of psoriaticpatients whether alone (26.7% of cases) or withpsoriatic affection (40% of cases). Yeasts wereisolatedfrom 63.3 of cases, the most frequentspecies being candida. C. albicans constitutes33.3% of cases, followed by C. glaborata in13.3% of cases then C. tropicalisin 3.3% ofcases. Psoriatic nail affection alone was foundto be responsible for nail changes in 33.3% ofcases.